What is a burger?
The easy answer would be meat (primarily beef, depending on who you ask), a little sauce, maybe cheese, possibly salad, and a bun. This deceivingly simple cuisine has become a staple on menus around the world, from high end steak houses in New York to down-and-dirty dive bars in Tokyo.
The humble burger has also taken on the increasingly interesting role as a representation of our shifting relationship with food. In 2019, it is impossible to view food as something that we enjoy purely on our plates. It is something we consume through YouTube, discuss with other amateur gastronomical experts aka our friends, or something we see through squares on Instagram that cause us to salivate and double tap in equal measures.
If there is anyone fit to explore this paradigm of what a burger is, it’s renowned chef and host – Alvin Cailan. After bursting onto the culinary scene with the now celebrated L.A. cornerstone, Eggslut, Alvin has since gone from strength to strength with foodie hotspots Amboy and The Usual. In more recent times, Alvin has taken to showcasing the diversity of the food he loves by hosting the dangerously addictive web-series, The Burger Show.